March 10, 2363 AIA

Ionu

Reyer was alone on the roof of the sheriff’s office when Jane came to find her. Without any ceremony, the biologist dropped down to lie beside her. Their heads were close together while their bodies lay in opposite directions. They stared up at the ombré sunset sky.

“Hey, Jane,” Reyer said. “How’s your arm?”

“How much have you kept back from Adan?”

Alix’s smile faded when she heard the unexpected accusation. “What?”

“Did you know I try to be a patient person? It doesn’t work. I try to mind my own business too, but it won’t stop bothering me!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know you did off-the-record interviews with Tennama.”

“Well, you’re right. I did. How did you learn about them?”

“He told me the story of how he escaped from Project 32. Here’s a hint, next time you’re not recording someone, let them know.”

“I did.”

“But…” Jane let her question trail off. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be asking.

Reyer said, “It’s possible he didn’t believe me. You’re cautious when you’re talking to an enemy.”

“He thinks you’re an enemy?”

“Back then he did. He was desperate, remember? He had to come to us, but he didn’t want to. Even though we’d agreed to help him, no one trusts someone that makes them feel frustrated and helpless.”

“Why would you ask him for that story off the record?”

“Because it didn’t matter. It was a personal story that had no relevance to our mission. I thought he had the right to choose who he told it to.”

Jane stopped staring at her friend’s profile and went back to looking at the sky. “That mattered to you?”

“Have you ever been interrogated, Jane?”

“Only when I came to the Rising.” She heard Alix’s laugh and added, “But I guess that doesn’t count.”

“Not for this. You were never forced to talk about your personal life with someone you hated.”

“Has Vas?”

There was a short silence.

“Not that I know of,” Alix said.

“Did you think he wouldn’t understand?” Jane asked. “Is that why you didn’t tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him because I didn’t think to tell him! I wasn’t trying to hide something from him.”

“Shouldn’t you be telling him everything? You’re a woman, aren’t you? All women do is talk.”

“That’s the kind of sexist bullshit I’d only expect from a man.”

“Ha ha. Very funny. Can we be serious now?”

“Sure. Are you mad at me for not telling you?”

“No—well, yes. But that’s only because I hate not knowing everything. I mean, I’m mad, but I know that you don’t have to tell me everything. You didn’t do anything wrong by not telling me.”

“But I did something wrong by not telling Adan?”

Jane was glad they were gazing at the sky. It was somehow easier to say this when she wasn’t looking at Reyer. “I think you did. Can’t you see him? He’s always waiting for you. He wants you to open up and share. My god, it’s so pitiful.” Jane swallowed back the lump in her throat so she could say, “Sometimes he looks lonely.”

Reyer said nothing. Jane felt a sense of unease creep into her. She hardened her voice.

“Anyway, he’s the captain of this mission. He needs to know as much as possible, and I hate having to watch what I say in case I accidentally mention something you haven’t told him yet.”

Alix still didn’t answer.

“I hate being diplomatic,” Jane grumbled.

At last there was a response; Reyer laughed. “Are you trying to tell me it doesn’t come naturally to you?”

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“If it wasn’t a part of the mission, why did you want to ask Tennama about it anyway?” Jane asked.

“I needed him to be human.”

Jane puzzled over that for a minute. “Alix, he’s not a human. He’s a xeno.”

“I needed to know he was a person, with feelings and weaknesses. Like me.”

In a voice of pure mystification, Jane said, “Why?”

“It was the only way I could work with him.”

Jane almost said something, but then, with alien diplomacy, she shut her mouth. In the nick of time, she had remembered the hard days back at Home Base—the days Reyer had to leave after asking Tennama only a question or two, or the days Alix’s hands were shaking so hard Jane was afraid for her. Over time it had gotten better, but the doctor had assumed that was the inevitable result of exposure. It hadn’t occurred to her that Reyer might have been working toward that deliberately.

“What did you learn about him?” Jane asked.

“I asked him about his wife. I asked him about how he liked his job. He talked about his friends—his human friends. You can learn a lot.”

Jane’s thoughts were interrupted when Reyer added, a second later, “He wants to go home.”

“What?”

“He told me once, when we were on the Colibri. He told me that the only time he’d ever really felt content was standing next to his pool.”

Jane sighed. “I wondered about that.”

“Would you care to elaborate, Dr. Bonumomnes?”

“It’s how they all talk about wanting to be close to each other—how much it bothered them to be away from other xenos. I wondered if it was a defense mechanism. What if the queen and her pool are defended by xenos who’ve already taken bodies? I started thinking about it when he told us about Harlan. If the pool was ever in danger, the memory-keepers would be close by to offer their body to the queen so she could move herself to a safer place. If that’s the case, the xenos would instinctively be drawn to the pool where they were born. Especially the memory-keepers.”

“I’m worried about him, Jane.”

“Why?”

“You’ve seen him. He’s numb. It takes him a year to react when you call his name.”

“He’s always shown signs of depression.”

“He’s always been sad. He’s always carried around that pain. But now he’s like a walking corpse. He’s dead inside, and you can see it.” Reyer paused. “I’ve seen soldiers get that way.”

Jane had to force her lips apart to say, “Yeah. I know. But what can we do?”

“Have you ever felt homesick?”

The doctor was confused by the change in topic. “Not really. I never had a home planet. My parents moved around too much.”

“Maybe we should take him back.”

In one swift movement, Jane rocked herself to a sitting position and stood up. “Oh, no. That’s enough girl chat.” She dusted the orange sand from the back of her clothes. “You can take that one straight to Vas. I want no part of it.”

“I don’t—”

“Don’t make me call you a coward, Alix Reyer. I’d hate to do it, but if I must, I will.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me.”

Reyer laughed again and put her hand up. Jane grabbed it and helped her to her feet.

“Well, we leave in a few hours,” Alix said. “I better go find Adan.”

“He’s downstairs in the breakroom with the rest of them. They’re plotting.”

“Then maybe I shouldn’t interrupt them.”

“Listen, you coward, they don’t need him. Bet you a ten coin if you stand at the door and motion for him, he’ll be out of his seat in less than three seconds. And it’ll only take that long because he’s injured.”

“You make him sound like a love-sick idiot.”

“Two ten coins.”

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They left early the next day. It was still dark when the crew said goodbye to Fenn and Tate. Once Reyer was on board, she forced herself to climb the stairs to the bridge so she could watch the lift-off. Ciro and Jane had stayed down on the lower level, but Vas and Tennama were already in the pilot and copilot chairs. Lynx was standing in front of the built-in console.

Reyer only half listened to Vas and Tennama muttering comments back and forth to each other as they woke up the Colibri and put her in the air. Their subdued voices were unconscious deference to the peace of the morning. As the ship rose out of the sheriff’s bay, Alix felt a pang when she realized she couldn’t see the two men standing at the edge. She chided herself for being sentimental. It wasn’t like she hadn’t hugged Tate only a minute before. She didn’t need to wave.

The sun had been hiding below the horizon, but their ascent forced the dawn to come a few minutes early.

“Are we clear?” Vas said.

“All clear, Captain,” Tennama said.

“Lynx, is there any sign of someone watching?”

“There’s no sign of any signal,” the bot said. “Their whole network still appears to be crippled.”

“It’s the work of a mad genius,” Reyer muttered to herself.

“Let’s take her out, Mr. Tennama,” Vas said.

Once they were out in space, the captain had them stop so Lynx could run a full diagnostic of the ship. Reyer thought about joining Jane and Ciro below, but then the robot finally gave his report.

“The Colibri would benefit from a thorough cleaning and visual inspection, but the sand that was incidentally collected in the ship’s systems isn’t likely to cause a failure.”

“Good.” Vas turned his seat back to face the controls.

“Lynx,” Tennama said, “standby to give us coordinates to our destination.”

Anthony saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Vas was shaking his head.

“I don’t think we’ll need him,” the captain said.

The xeno’s hands stopped moving. “What is our destination, Captain?”

Vas continued setting up his controls. “Alix tells me that you might be interested in returning to your home planet. At least, for a while. God knows we owe you, and I have a deep sympathy with anyone who misses their home.” He raised his eyes to his copilot. “Is that all right with you, Mr. Tennama?”

Behind them, unseen, Alix smiled when she heard the airy quality of Anthony’s next few words.

“Yes. I would like that. Thank you, Captain.”

Vas nodded. “I presume you know the coordinates.”

“I do.”

“Whenever you’re ready, Tennama.”

“Captain,” Lynx said, “do you intend to return to the xeno home world?”

“Lynx—” Reyer started.

Vas spun his chair to face them. “No, Alix. Let him speak. What is it, Lynx?”

“I have a concern.”

Reyer glanced at Tennama. There was a subtle grimace on his face.

“Go on,” the captain said.

“Dr. Jane Bonumomnes is still a passenger on this ship. If we’re going to the home world, then she will be going to the home world—Miss Reyer, are you all right?”

Alix couldn’t stop laughing long enough to answer.

Vas used a hand to wipe away his own smile before he said, “I think I see your point, Lynx.”

The robot continued, “She’ll need to be briefed so we can explain what would be considered unacceptable behavior.”

“The term you’re looking for is hogtied, Lynx. She’ll have to be hogtied and locked in her cabin.” Vas turned once more to the controls. “Well, Mr. Tennama, you heard the bot. You’ll be unleashing a dread scientist on an innocent and unsuspecting planet. Do you still want to go?”

With blatant relief, the xeno said, “I think it’d be worth the risk.”

“Then let’s plot our course.”

“You do have some good, strong rope, right?”